18 | ICT COSTS | PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
F
rom an organisation helping them drive a software hard bargain to a self-made app which might one day
make money, educational establishments seeking ICT have money-saving solutions at their fi ngertips. ESPO is a public sector-owned
professional buying organisation (PBO) pursuing best practice in procurement, sourcing, supply chain partner support and management and contract management supplying over 9,000 educational establishments nationally. ‘You get what you
pay for’ is an adage
such establishments should bear in mind when buying ICT according to
Claire Edwards, ESPO’s head of marketing and communications. “Schools, particularly academies, are becoming increasingly savvy regarding procurement. They’re hunting around for the best deal but they also need to consider buying compliantly.
Stung by suppliers “Years ago, when schools may have been tempted by a cheaper deal, some were stung by suppliers, but purchasing via a PBO like ESPO means this is less likely to happen. We agree with the suppliers all the terms and conditions for our customers and can support them in dealing with suppliers if a dispute arises. Pricing is a huge issue right now – value for money usually wins over cheapness which means, sometimes, taking the product with slightly bet er features, guarantees or added extras.” While choosing products with the highest
specifi cation is tempting, it is not always the right strategy. “Technology is moving at a blistering pace; many schools are keeping up and some have a policy of one-computer-per-child or have iPads in every class. I think schools have to decide what’s best for the pupils and what will enhance their learning. Obviously, some of latest technology needs to be in the mix but it’s not the be-all-and-end-all if it’s outdated. Teachers should take a sensible approach to what best meets the children’s needs.” Claire highlights ESPO’s EU compliance is another
reason for schools to buy through it, something echoed by Simon Hernes, head of ESPO’s educational fi eld sales team. “Full-term cost, irrespective of spend, is absolutely important but all public bodies, schools and colleges included, spending over £172,000 on IT kit – a fi gure which is not unusual – need to undertake a full EU tender. This will necessarily involve much time, eff ort and expense, with the need to place an advert in the European Journal among other places just part of the process. Buying through ESPO means schools are fully EU-compliant, a major time and cost saving.”
Hands-on experience Cornwall’s Budehaven Community School introduced the free Apps for Good programme as a club in 2011, giving pupils hands-on experience of the app development process. One of the school’s teams, ShoreCast, won the ‘My Planet’ category at the Apps for Good Awards in 2014 for an app informing surfers of the best locations and times to surf. They are currently working with a professional development agency to develop their app, which will be launched on to the market in early 2015. Ivan Langton, the school’s ICT co-ordinator is
aware of the programme’s benefi ts and limitations. “The computing curriculum at Key Stage 3 has a lot more content compared to the resources provided by Apps for Good. Therefore there is still a need to have additional resources to enable you to deliver the curriculum, so the savings are not that quantifi able. Also, as a school, we are very good at writing and acquiring our own resources from other schools and teachers and using TES. Cost or savings don’t really factor into why we as a school work with Apps for Good; we do it to engage the pupils and show them the potential of computing in the real world.” While ShoreCast has yet to bring any fi nancial
returns to its pupil creators or their school, some rewards have accrued and the possibility of future income remains. “There was no fi nancial benefi t for the school or pupils with winning the Apps for Good award, although the boys in the team all won a mobile phone and while the app will be launched as a free app, if it becomes commercially viable in future, the school and pupils will gain a revenue.”
“Pricing is a huge issue right now – value for money usually wins over cheapness which means, sometimes, taking the product with slightly bet er features, guarantees or added extras”
ABOVE: Ivan Langton
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